“Just so, I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
– Luke 15:10
Repentance brings joy because it brings our actions, beliefs, and behaviors in line with God’s will. It also sweeps away guilt through the grace of Jesus Christ. What more could we want than that?
Oh wait, it is actual repentance that is required. You know, real sorrow for transgressing God’s Law. We humans don’t like to say we made a mistake, let alone say we sinned against someone else, and for sure we don’t want to admit that we have offended the God who created us, gave us our talents, abilities and situation in life – the One who gave us absolutely everything. After all, we can’t even see Him, so out of sight, out of mind. Right?
Repentance is perhaps the hardest weight to lift for our human nature. We like our thoughts. Changing them – the very definition of repentance – is a struggle. But the definition goes on to say that we are ‘changing our mind FOR THE BETTER, (emphasis mine) heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.’ A great theologian, F.F. Bruce said ‘Repentance involves a turning with contrition from sin to God, the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness.’
Without repentance, God does not forgive. Without repentance, we have to earn our salvation on our own. And that is an impossible task. Without repentance, the cross of Christ does not apply to us. We might claim forgiveness, but without personal repentance, God says we don’ satisfy the requirement for heaven – faith in His Son and what Jesus did in His life, death, resurrection and ascension.
And to make matters worse, if we don’t forgive others, God says we don’t believe in the concept of forgiveness. If we don’t forgive, we think that we know better than God, and that is a dangerous place to be. We cannot bump God off the throne, as it were, and decide the eternal fate of another human being. Only God knows their heart.
He is the final Judge.
Wouldn’t it be better to let God be God, and admit that He is right and we are wrong? You see, the assurance we have is that He loves us, and will ‘forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
That is 1 John 1:9. That is a God who always forgives, when we repent, each and every time, and over and over again. Let us also forgive, over and over again. And then praise God who loves each one of us, and all of us!
